RA causes joints to swell, stiffen, and become quite painful.  The disease is the [...] No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> New research points at alcohol consumption as a way to reduce stiffness, pain, and the joint damage that results from rheumatoid arthritis.  The study also discovered that those who consume alcohol are less likely to have problems as a result from arthritis.

RA causes joints to swell, stiffen, and become quite painful.  The disease is the result of an overactive immune system believing that the joint system is ill causing it to attack the joint linings causing inflammation.

Researchers still do not completely understand the process that causes RA to develop although genes, lifestyle, and other isolated factors in environment are thought to play a role.  For example, previous studies have pointed towards smoking as a risk factor in developing RA while drinking on a regular basis may decrease the risks.  Studies performed on mice also suggest that alcohol consumption may help keep the full effects of RA at bay.

In order to take a closer look at alcohol’s effect on the body, researchers performed a study that looked at 1,004 people who have the disease and 873 people who do not.  They asked the participants of the study what their drinking habits were and how many days out of the last month they had consumed a drink.  In those that had RA in the study, they also used x-rays, questionnaires, and blood tests to determine how progressed the disease was.

Overall, the study determined that those who did not consume alcohol were over twice as likely to suffer from RA.

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